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It wasn't an early retirement incentive. It was for people who were too far from retirement but maybe were considering a career change. I think it was $50,000 over several years. They were especting few takers -- I think they predicted less than 50 -- so the 30 is no surprise.

Thanks to the posters that contributed to the insight for the many resignations.

As a parent, taxpayer, sometimes you feel like an outside person looking in. So watching board meetings, reading the board minutes, attending parental school affairs and this blog; I am finally gaining a better analysis with diversified input and no venting-as one poster thought as an answer for logical questions to resignations and upward numbers each month.

I have come a long way with the above and this blog brought me to a true realism of PPS

Anon 9:06 you don't work for the dist. So you really do not know whats going on in side the schools,some not all teachers are in it for a paycheck and that's why they are being observed more then they ever did before and it's to weed out the ones that's only in it for a paycheck ,so do you think it's fair if your child would come home and you ask him/her what did you learn today and they say nothing ,the teacher let me and the rest of the class listing to our iPods ,WHAT WOULD YOU DO.Time for a change in the pps seniority process.

**and they say nothing ,the teacher let me and the rest of the class listing to our iPods ,WHAT WOULD YOU DO.Time for a change in the pps seniority process.**

What would I do? I would let the principal know about this problem. I would keep track every day of what my kid had done in that class so that when I talked with the principal I would have a list of problems. If I had any examples of poor assignments, etc. I would use those as well.

THEN I would expect the principal to do his or her JOB! They are supposed to observe, pull in the ITL, use an improvement plan if necessary, and document.

Plenty of teachers were fired this year, proving that it can be done without all this moaning and groaning about how it can't be done!

I expect administrators to do their jobs and the union/reps to support those who pay them. (And no, I'm not a teacher in the union.)

Otherwise I expect the district to PROVE that they are capable of telling who the most and least effective teachers are, how they come up with those ratings and rankings and to be very transparent about how many more senior "bad" teachers there are and how many young, newer "much better" at teaching teachers there are so we can have this discussion with some numbers attached.

Otherwise, we just have their assurances that this is fair and not an attempt to lower salaries by deciding that every teacher turns bad before they make "too much" money.

Clearly, 1:40 learned how to read, write and express themselves in an educated manner. She/he also raising the right questions by inference. There must be a clear and fair definition, even a rubric, for precisely what constitutes an "effective" teacher. Currently, that does not exist. In fact, the Chief of Performance was NOT able to articulate a definition for an "effective teacher" when asked to do so by a Board member.

That clear and fair definition should be available for consideration, discussion, input and agreement PRIOR to "improvement plans" or dismissals. Similar, agreed-upon processes must also be in place for ALL administrators from principals to superintendent. Let the public be informed and knowledgeable via a clear, fair, but specifically-detailed RUBRIC.

ALL adults in the school system must be held accountable for their role and the end results of educating ALL of PPS children/students!